Astros have Castro on same spring plan

Astros 2014 spring training

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Catching is the most grueling position, and the Astros want to be sure they don’t wear out their best backstop in spring training.

Manager Bo Porter is going to employ a Grapefruit League usage plan similar to last year’s with catcher Jason Castro.

Castro started working out this past winter earlier than he ever had and he feels his knee problems are behind him, but the Astros nonetheless will be careful with their best player. Castro did not make the half-hour drive to Champion Stadium, the spring training home of the Braves, for the Astros’ first Grapefruit League game on Friday.

“I actually have a plan all mapped out for him,” Porter said. “Like I told him, it’ll be similar to what we did last year, and the goal is to make sure that, A, he gets game ready an get enough at-bats and gets enough time at the plate. And at the same time make sure that he’s healthy and ready to go on opening day. And he kind of liked the schedule that we had him on last year.”

The Astros will build up Castro slowly for the first two weeks, playing every other day or so — and he could play designated hitter as well as catch — before ramping up closer to full speed, and then easing him back down a bit before the start of the season.